


Do you like me at all?

by TheAllMagicalCreature



Series: Zagene [1]
Category: Buzzfeed: The Try Guys
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, The Try Guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 02:45:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13067478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAllMagicalCreature/pseuds/TheAllMagicalCreature
Summary: ‘’I want to talk. About.. us.’’ Zach mumbled while staring at his hands fiddling on the table. Eugene’s heart sank to his stomach and he suddenly didn’t find the sandwich appealing anymore. ‘’What do you mean?’’





	Do you like me at all?

The office was full of people doing their jobs. It had been quite a calm day at Buzzfeed, unlike many others. Eugene had been absorbed in his work all day, trying to finish his latest project on time. He had put on his headphones in the morning and hadn’t taken them off since. He had lots of editing to do and it wasn’t going to happen if he sat back and joked around with his friends. 

Zach, on the other hand, had been helping out on the set of someone else’s video. He bounced into the room, plopping down on his seat. He turned to Eugene with a big grin on his face, but the other man wasn’t giving him any attention at all. Zach frowned, looking around at Keith and Ned. Ned caught him staring and removed his headphones. ‘’What’s up? How did Kaylee’s video go?’’  
‘’It was okay, she just needed a hand with the equipment. Has Eugene moved at all since I left? I told him to go get lunch. It’s three-thirty PM.’’ Zach’s forehead creased a bit, his gaze flitting towards Eugene every other second. ‘’No, I tried to ask him something about an hour ago and he almost bit my head off. You can try, but be warned.’’ Ned wiggled his eyebrows and spun back around to his computer to get back to work. 

Zach pursed his lips in thought before rolling his chair over to Eugene. He lightly tapped the other man’s shoulder, only to be surprised by the angry grunt and shoulder-jerk he got in return. Zach’s eyebrows shot into the air and you could feel his mood shifting. His shoulders were set with determination as he reached up and plucked Eugene’s headphones away from him. 

Eugene jerked around, his features pulled taut with stress and agitation. ‘’Give those back.’’ He snapped, clearly not in the mood for whatever was happening. But Zach kept his shoulders straight and shook his head. ‘’I thought I told you to get something to eat.’’ His voice was strained, not at all the pleasant guy he’d been just moments before.  
‘’Who says I didn’t?’’ The black-haired guy repeated stubbornly. Zach raised his eyebrows at the defiance and jerked his head towards their co-worker. ‘’Ned.’’  
Eugene rolled his eyes and reached out to grab his headphones, however Zach saw this coming and placed them out of reach. ‘’I’m serious, ‘Gene, we talked about this.’’ Some of the tensity in his shoulders had left him and he was now pleading with the other man to just hear him out. It didn’t seem to be doing much good, though. Quite the opposite.

‘’Not here. Not now.’’ He spoke lowly, his voice laced with warning as he motioned his head to all their colleagues around them. Eugene was right, they had been trying to keep their relationship on the down-low for the time being. But this was in no way a display of affection. This was just general concern for his friend’s wellbeing, and he was going through with this whether Eugene wanted it or not.

‘’Either you come with me, or I’ll bring you food and force feed you if I have to.’’ Zach spoke matter-of-factly, with no room for arguments. Eugene must have seen something in his face because he saved the file he was working on and pushed himself out of the chair. As soon as he was up, he stumbled and gripped the desk. Zach immediately reached out to steady him, but was shoved away the second his hands touched the other. Keith and Ned were now looking over at them, headphones off. Zach heard one of them asking whether he was okay, but Eugene had already walked out of the office to the cafeteria. 

When Zach entered, he saw Eugene crumpled in a chair, his elbows on the table with his head in his hands. He looked wrecked. The bags under his eyes had darkened even since this morning and his hair was all over the place. The project he’d been working on had been killing him. All the fight drained out of Zach and he felt hollow. He wanted to support his boyfriend but he didn’t know if the gesture would be appreciated, at all. It didn’t matter if they were in a public place or at home, Eugene wasn’t opening up. Zach had been having doubts about this relationship for weeks now. Ever since the first two weeks ended and the haze wore off. He saw that they were completely different people. Eugene was the one to suggest not telling their friends yet and Zach hadn’t had the confidence to suggest otherwise, but now it was taking a toll on him. 

Zach couldn’t very well start talking about this when Eugene was this way, though, so he settled for taking care of his boyfriend first, which he did with all his heart.

Eugene first lifted his head when a glass of water was placed on the table and he looked up at Zach with gratefulness in his eyes. He picked up the glass and gulped the water down, only now realizing how thirsty he’d been. He watches his boyfriend putter about the kitchen for a while. When Zach puts a sandwich in front of him and tells him to eat, Eugene reaches out and takes his hand. The kitchen was empty and the door was closed, and Eugene needed Zach to know he appreciated this. However, instead of the lovely smile he expected to see, the other man reluctantly pulled his hand away and sat down with him at the table.

‘’I want to talk. About.. us.’’ Zach mumbled while staring at his hands fiddling on the table. Eugene’s heart sank to his stomach and he suddenly didn’t find the sandwich appealing anymore. ‘’What do you mean?’’ His voice was too controlled, void of emotion whatsoever.  
‘’Not now. Maybe you can come over to my place when you’re done with your project.’’ Zach replied, already getting up and moving out of the cafeteria. Eugene sprung off his chair and followed the shorter man halfway through the workplace. He finally reached him and took hold of his wrist, still thinking to be careful. 

Zach turned around to face his boyfriend and felt tears begin to prick at the back of his eyes. He couldn’t do this now, not here, he needed more time and space. He started shaking his head when the other spoke, ‘’Zach, no. Please, I know it’s been shitty, but it’ll get better, alright? I’ll get better. I promise.’’ His voice sounded wet with tears and Zach suddenly realized they were having this discussion in front of all their coworkers, but Eugene didn’t seem to care. Zach pulled his hand back and said, ‘’we’re just different people, and that’s- that’s okay.’’ His voice cracked on the last word, conveying just how not okay this actually was. 

‘’Don’t say shit like that.’’ Eugene reached out again and Zach thought this must be more touching in public than they’ve ever done before. He looks up at Eugene, who is just psyching himself up to talk again. ‘’I don’t know how to do this. But I want you, with me. And I’m gonna work on this, and we can tell everyone! I just don’t know how to do this. I need your help.’’ He muttered, moving closer to the guy he’s in love with. He’s now holding both of Zach’s hands, and he whispers in his ear. ‘’I love you. I promise I’m gonna try harder from now on.’’

And that was that. Zach wrapped his arms around Eugene and the taller man actually hugged back tightly. The room exploded in applause and Zach saw some cameras here and there, but it didn’t matter anymore. Eugene was willing to work for them, and that was all he needed.


End file.
